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Message started by JLC on 05/06/18 at 08:00:08

Title: Suches and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Post by JLC on 05/06/18 at 08:00:08

My wife and I came back yesterday from a 5000 miles, two week road trip, from Colorado to Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Arkansas, Texas and New Mexico. No, that was not on a bike, we used my wife's Toyota!

I made sure I visited two areas mentioned on this Forum: Suches and Blue Ridge parkway. We went to Suches first, delightful and obviously well suited to a motorcycle trip. Did not see many bikes there, but it was raining buckets.

We got on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville, and went through the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. We saw many bikes on the road, despite the weather (it was raining on and off all day). That would be a fantastic ride.

I promised myself I'll ride both places one day!

Title: Re: Suches and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Post by Oldfeller on 05/06/18 at 10:15:11

JC

I would like to run the Parkway from beginning to end and back again ...... plan on taking lots of get offs every place that looks interesting, ie not in a hurry ...... retired style.

Dave says there is a primo steam museum (active working exhibits) up past the north end of the Parkway a little bit.

Title: Re: Suches and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Post by JLC on 05/06/18 at 11:12:40

I did not know about this museum, otherwise I would have stopped by. I am a fan of steam, whether stationary, on the road, on water, or on rails!

Title: Re: Suches and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Post by Dave on 05/06/18 at 13:37:31

45666E6C6F66666F780A0 wrote:

Dave says there is a primo steam museum (active working exhibits) up past the north end of the Parkway a little bit.

There is no steam here.....they celebrate all the equipment that put an end to the stearm era.....it is all early internal combustion engines (natural gas, kerosene, oil and gasoline).

The place is called Coolspring.
http://coolspringpowermuseum.org/

Title: Re: Suches and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Post by JLC on 05/06/18 at 14:53:42

Dave,

Thanks for the info. Seems interesting enough to stop by if you are in the vicinity.

Title: Re: Suches and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Post by Oldfeller on 05/07/18 at 03:36:30

We seem a little light for East Coast trips this summer, so I was bringing up one from the past as it was a good one that we never got to do.

Any interest in this one ?

Title: Re: Suches and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Post by Dave on 05/07/18 at 05:39:40

Going to Coolspring is on my bucket list.

I am not sure it is a great idea for a bike trip....as they only do events on the 3rd Sat/Sun of each month, and likely it takes all day to see everything as they have 275 engines and 35 buildings. I do believe my wife would want to go with me to Coolspring........not sure how to work that into a bike trip.

http://coolspringpowermuseum.org/Events.htm

Title: Re: Suches and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Post by Oldfeller on 05/07/18 at 05:51:02

Agree upon a day and swap a Life360 code and meet up at the Coolspring place ????

I also admit that the entire length of the Parkway trip is a bucket list item for me --- and it has logistics issues out the arse as a group ride which is why we never did it.

Where would you be staying near Coolspring? Wife/hotel?

Folks coming up the Parkway can overnight here for free, then meet up with the group at the Coolspring place. For a rough freebe, this ok, but it has no shower or flush toilets available (pit toilets located at the boat ramps).

https://freecampsites.net/#!14254&query=sitedetails

Pay me campgrounds are running $22 to $30 in the area, which seems to be a going rate sorta thing.

Title: Re: Suches and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Post by Dave on 05/07/18 at 07:40:58

06252D2F2C25252C3B490 wrote:

We seem a little light for East Coast trips this summer, so I was bringing up one from the past as it was a good one that we never got to do.

I plan on adding a trip to the Kick Stand Lodge, as 28, the Dragon and Canada Road seem to be calling to me.

It might also be nice to go back down to Waynesville and stay at the BlueRidge Motorcycle Campground again......there are some really fun roads over that way that we have not ridden in a few years, and it is much nicer to stay in the area and avoid a 2 hour commuted from Robbinsville over to Waynesville.

I have not made any attempts to look at the summer/fall schedule to know when we should get them scheduled. I will be done July 14-21 and can't do anything that week. My wife is also anxious to use my new "semi-retirement" for us to go traveling.......we have not yet planned anything - but I need to find something for the 2 of us and Lily to do.

Anybody have any suggestions for the location and dates for a visit to the Kickstand Lodge and/or BlueRidge Motorcycle Campground?

Here is a schedule for the 50cc racing at the Deals Gap resort. It might be a fun weekend to go and watch the racing at night....then just a 15 minute ride to the peace and quiet at the Kickstand Lodge. It appears the 1st weekend in June or 1st or 4th weekend in August might work for me (I am busy the 4th weekend in June).
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Fiddies4Life/events/

(After you click on this link...you will have to click the left button to get the video to play).
https://www.facebook.com/Fiddies4Life/videos/1859108290774549/
[mediahttp://www.facebook.com/Fiddies4Life/videos/1859108290774549/][/media]

Title: Re: Suches and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Post by MMRanch on 05/07/18 at 22:17:15

I've got (30 May -3 June) on my calendar for Suches Ga.

Does anybody else have 17-22 June open on their calendars ?

Title: Re: Suches and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Post by Oldfeller on 05/08/18 at 02:16:57

Open.

Title: Re: Suches and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Post by Dave on 05/08/18 at 04:15:25

1A081A08051619141F570 wrote:

Does anybody else have 17-22 June open on their calendars ?

That is somewhat of a bad week for me....as my previous employer is having a retirement party for me on June 23rd (that is why I felt the 4th weekend is June was not good). I think it would be difficult for me to be gone the week before the retirement party...maybe I could sneak down the week prior (June 11th - 17th +/-) .

Do you want to go to the Kick Stand Lodge and visit MO.....or to Waynesville and visit Phil at the BlueRidge Motorcycle Campground?

Title: Re: Suches and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Post by MMRanch on 05/08/18 at 07:03:32

I could do the 10th - 15th part of it , if my wife ain't tired of doing with-out her cook by then ... ;D

I like Mo's place OK and would rather stay there than the Dragon Central ,
But the ridding around Phil's is "So-much" better :)

Title: Re: Suches and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Post by Dave on 05/08/18 at 07:52:47

The only downside of the 10th to 15th - is we are going to be in Suches from May 29th - June 3rd. That only leaves a week between trips.

Would June 24th - 30th work any better?

Also......for those who cannot spend an entire week, it is perfectly fine to come down and party whatever days you can squeeze in. The dates posted initially are weekdays and there is generally less traffic on those days - however I am likely to either come early or stay late and include Saturday/Sunday into the event (and a favorable weather forecast may affect which weekend I add....and it might be that the extra weekend days occur at an alternate location - like the Kick Stand Lodge, Suches, Franklin, etc.).

Title: Re: Suches and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Post by Oldfeller on 05/08/18 at 14:50:46

That's OK by me.

Guys, answer the man if you want the events to happen .....

Title: Re: Suches and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Post by MMRanch on 05/08/18 at 20:32:29

Once I get to the 23rd --- I'm booked solid till the 30th. ::)

Don't let me keep anybody from taking a ride ... :P

The 17th - 22nd would be my ideal dates , I'll be home alone that week anyway. ;D .... unless I slip over to Dragon central for a camping night or two !

..............................................................

Heck ! we should get together for a ride every chance we get ... Life is Short ! :)

Starting the 17th (June) , how about a couple days in Phil's neighborhood ! I've got a Mamoth Cave ride starting the 23rd with the other group in my life.
:P

Title: Re: Suches and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Post by Dave on 05/09/18 at 05:52:43

I agree.....we need to start riding together on a regular basis.

MM.......One option we can consider that could get us riding more regularly is going to the Daniel Boone National Forest - it is nearly half way between Lynchburg and northern Kentucky....about a 3 hour ride for each of us. If we could find good roads to ride and a good place to camp, that trip could be done for riding for just a day or two. I will look around and see if I can find any ride reports on the area.

If we want to try for a ride in Waysneville June 17....I likely can come down for at least a part of it. I might come down on June 15th and stay until the 19th or 20th....so I can get home in time for the events I have at the end of the week.

Title: Re: Suches and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Post by Oldfeller on 05/09/18 at 07:07:37

Waynesville at Blue Ridge Motorcycle Campground sounds good to me --- we can take Cabin #4 and just go ride our bikes in if we wanted to.

https://freecampsites.net/#!Daniel+Boone+National+Forest has a ton of low cost and another ton of totally free places to stay.

Either or both are fine by me -- you guys just need to square your schedules out so we can make up the trips.

Title: Re: Suches and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Post by MMRanch on 05/09/18 at 07:13:53

If we could find good roads to ride and a good place to camp, that trip could be done for riding for just a day or two.

Hot Dog !

We can try it a time or two just for "Why-Not" ;D

All we need is a place to stay ! 8-)

I'll check it out while I'm having coffee some morning . ;)
.....................................................................................

Hay we could make the first trip full just by checking out the different Camping Places . OldFeller might even help us , I was looking at the prices and they are the kind I get along with the best !!! VERY LIKEABLE .